A Case For Citizen Journalism

For the last number of months I’ve been writing a bi-weekly column for the London Free Press pertaining to what I feel are pertinent points for citizenship and the need for a more open public space in London. Some might not agree, but I feel the paper is to be commended for publishing pieces that might not fit the standard news criteria but which speak to community as a whole and how it innovates.Following my recent piece on citizen engagement I received some helpful material from a local citizen attempting to make a case for citizen journalism. He wasn’t interesting in being given credit or in being identified, but his thoughts are important enough I think that they should be given an airing. The following ideas are his, with some editorial reworking by me.Modern journalism can help empower a community or it can help disable it. At its heart, good civic journalism has an obligation to public life – a responsibility that goes beyond just telling the news or unloading lots of facts. The goal should be to produce the kind of news that citizens require in order to be educated about issues and current events, to make civic decisions, to engage in civic dialogue and action. Ultimately such material should resource the average citizen to exercise his or her responsibilities in a democracy.A new breed of civic journalists is required who believes that it is possible to create good news coverage that motivates people to think, perhaps to act, and not simply to entice them to watch, ogle, or merely stare. And, in fact, such writers would believe it’s their responsibility to further such journalism.  Such journalists, besides being observers, can’t be totally disinterested watchers; each understands that their reporting has a stake in the health of the community.Newspapers shouldn’t merely be mirrors of city events but active agents in public life. The behaviour and attitudes of journalists begets the outlooks of others in the public arena.More newspapers, like the London Free Press, could become advocates for the overall economic prosperity of our community but taking on the following purpose:

• Position the paper as an economic champion for the city
• Demand action from politicians at every level
• Demand action from the business community
• Uncover the roadblocks. Seek solutions and lead in their discovery
• Align with economic partners at Western, Fanshawe, Tech Alliance, the Chamber of Commerce, the London Economic Development Corporation, and the community to push forward a prosperity agenda for the city
• That agenda can expand to include other sectors: health, culture, technology, education, etc.

The newspaper would not be a cheerleader but rather establish a rallying point (a community meeting place) for ideas and propose realistic action. In championing downtown renewal in the late-1990s, the London Free Press didn’t just report on the day-to-day problems in the core; it demanded change, celebrated the small and big steps forward. In some ways it stepped out of character, becoming bold and brave, innovative and inclusive. The renewal of downtown agenda also benefited the newspaper itself – it stood for something, articulated a vision, and actively participated in the community, endeavouring to bring it into the story.London is just one of many communities in Canada attempting to find its place in the modern and ever-evolving global economy. Such strains can pull communities apart at the seams, making their cohesiveness more difficult than ever. Citizens require illumination, resources, urgings and encouragement to enter the fray to keep the quality of life they have been used to. It’s a task made all the more difficult if the main media within a city refuse to help in providing citizens with tools to come together and make responsible choices regarding their own future and that of their children.The above are ideas that this concerned citizen is putting forward for community papers to consider. I’m honoured to encapsulate his reasonings in this blog. His ideas basically fall into four main questions that citizens, their governments, and their newspapers should consider. How might journalism best serve the public? What does civic purpose mean in journalism? What should the power of the press be used for? What’s the best way for the profession to serve the community? Four worthy questions that deserve some kind of response.Newspapers themselves require encouragement from their respective communities regarding their importance. They need to be summoned to the grand citizen engagement effort if they are to remain relevant, for, as author Richard Kluger put it, “Every time a newspaper dies, even a bad one, the country moves a little closer to authoritarianism. When it is gone, the community itself is denied a devoted witness.” We as citizens need help to redefine our communities. Newspapers require assistance to discover new readers. Citizen engagement is the meeting ground between these two important realities.